What is Winter Guard?

Competitive indoor guard is an exciting branch of the Pageantry Arts. It’s a flash of colorful flags; light reflecting off sabers and necks craned high counting revolutions of wooden rifles. It’s impossible leaps and turns along with eye-popping sets and costumes. It is one of the most unique activities in the world today, and it enjoys devotees of all ages and backgrounds. Color Guard is rooted in military history but the use of flags, sabres and rifles is the only thing that is traditional. Always challenging the performer and spectator alike, color guard constantly redefines itself as the “Sport of the Arts.” We invite you to come and explore this fascinating activity where the only limit is the height of the gymnasium ceiling. A winter Guard program is not only educationally sound; it can have a dramatic and positive influence on the total Marching Band Program. In a school situation as ours, a winter guard ensemble is an extra curricular activity that offers participation to both boys and girls.

Our purpose:

To strive for personal and team EXCELLENCE

To develop TEAMWORK

To learn SPORTSMANSHIP

To achieve the highest possible ranking in our competitive circle

To ENTERTAIN

A valuable experience for winter guard performers is in interaction with students from other communities. This social and competitive exchange with groups of their own age from different backgrounds, lifestyles and educational experiences adds another facet to their SELF-PERCEPTION while creating LASTING FRIENDSHIPS!

Very few co-curricular orextra-curricular activities offer students an experience that challenges and stimulates growth on so many levels:

Multi-Physical

Mental

Social

Time Sequence

Thought Organization

Team Work

Group Cooperation

This activity demands physical involvement in rehearsal and performance involving muscle tone, conditioned response to music and other stimuli, simultaneous coordination of head, arms, legs, body stature as well as POISE and CONTROL while experiencing physical and mental pressure. The mental training requires multi-levels of thought organization including portrayal of moods harmonious with other performers, and the understanding of why they execute each move and advance awareness of what the next move will be and WHY it is there. The cumulative result of such physical and mental discipline is a student with deeper feelings of understanding, a more disciplined focus, which finds its way into study habits in scholastic efforts and a higher level of self-confidence. A winter guard program will expand the techniques of those who compromise the street and field marching unit in just a way that the concert band, state band and winter percussion lines continue the development of those skills with the subsequent impact on the excellence of the Music Program Socially, members learn to function in a group situation setting common goals, cooperating and striving for success as a team. Within the abundant opportunities for growth, physical expression, leadership and self-discipline for guard members, the staff also finds the satisfying reward of seeing the students realize their potential in such an exciting and positive manner.

GBCS Music ... dedicated to the success of all learners through excellence in music.